A Rose of a Different Colour
by RedHawke
Summary: Alistair/FemWarden. The story of a foreign knight who came to Ferelden in search of escape, and instead found a purpose. Follows the plot of the game, with some changes.
1. The Beginning

_I do not really know what brought me to Ferelden in the first place. Most likely, it was my fool-heartiness and my desire to make something of myself. But no matter the reason, I had left my home with only a horse and what I could strap to the beast's back, boarding the first available ship west to Thedas. I eventually arrived in Antiva, and began to make my way through the provinces without any real goal in mind._

_After many months of aimless travelling, I arrived in the province of Ferelden. It was a land that had just been freed from foreign occupation, and so it was a land of instability. For that reason, it was also a land of endless opportunity._

_Arriving in Ferelden I came to the conclusion that the province would provide me with the three things I had been searching for: an escape from my homeland, noble quests to undertake, and endless excitement._

_It provided all three very quickly, in the form of an order known as the Grey Wardens._

_

* * *

_

The stallion cantered beneath me, the scenery rushing by. It would not be long before I reached Ostagar now. I am a little nervous to meet with the Grey Wardens, and I wonder what will they think of me. Will they accept my role in their order? I knew, at the least, that I could help them, and that they were a noble order. I am sure I can prove myself to them.

I slowed my mount to a walk as we reached the ruins. It was truly beautiful here. The white stone structures, I could guess, had once been a great fortress. Now they were broken ruins, surrounded by trees and flowers. A long stone bridge led to the main part of Ostagar and smoke rose in the distance. That was where the Grey Wardens were, along with their new recruits.

"That'a boy, Cael. Not much farther." I gave the horse a pat on the neck, than urged him across the bridge and towards the source of the smoke.

As I arrived at the Warden camp I saw five armoured men covered in dark blood, their backs turned to me. Another two, clean of blood, stood off to the side, holding vials of dark liquid. Immediately I knew that they had already gone through a step of the 'Joining': a ritual wherein they had to collect darkspawn blood... and then drink it. It was what made them Wardens.

With a deep breath I nudged my horse into camp.

"Good afternoon, Wardens," they turned to me, and I bowed my head respectfully.

Of all the men there, I knew one. Duncan – the dark bearded dual wielder – was the current commander of the Ferelden Wardens. He himself was one of the five covered in blood. He bowed his head in a greeting, and I quickly dismounted. The other four bloody men, the recruits, looked perplexed at my arrival. They were all young, probably about my age or a little older, and had their swords strapped to their backs.

Duncan came towards me, offering a hand. I took it without hesitation, making sure my grip was strong as I shook it.

"Good to see you again, Ryda," he paused, turning to his recruits. "Excellent timing. We were just about to continue with the Joining. Follow us please."

Nodding, I pushed my horse on the shoulder. "Stand, Cael." He did what he was told.

I followed along behind the Wardens and recruits as they made their way to a back area. It was a temple; that I could plainly see. Duncan and his two Wardens went about preparing the mixture of darkspawn blood, and I stood with the recruits as we waited. I could feel their eyes on me. I shifted my weight a bit when I felt the eyes of the man behind me on my backside, but I ignored it. I had to be respectful, no matter how uncomfortable – or annoyed – I felt.

The man beside me looked at my face, than coughed. He was nervous, and I could not blame him. None of the recruits knew anything of the Joining, and of the repercussions what they were about to do. They did not realize that they were about to undertake in what would probably be the most dangerous ritual of their lives.

"Soo..." he began, scratching his neck, the dark blood smearing there. "You're not a Warden, are you?"

I shook my head, not really looking at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw dirty blond hair and a chin featuring short stubble. Normally, I would greet the man properly and look him in the eye, but these were abnormal circumstances. In a couple of moments, it was a possibility that he could be dead – and I knew it was best not to make acquaintances if I could.

"Okay... you're the Warden 'Consort' then?"

I nodded again. It is a good thing that Duncan had informed them of my presence. I didn't want them thinking I was intruding on their Joining ritual without invitation.

The Warden Consort, as seemed to be my official title, had an interesting role. In the history of the Wardens, no one knew of their rituals and interworkings except for the Wardens themselves. But by a series of events that had occurred in my travels through Orlais, I had come into contact with this knowledge. After some convincing Duncan had agreed to allow me to help them without becoming one of them. Truly, I was honoured.

Thus, on the commander's request, I am observing my first Joining today.

The other men stayed silent – not curious enough to talk to me or too busy shuffling in place. Or were too busy staring at my backside, as I could sense the man behind me was _still_ doing. However, this blond fellow was deciding to occupy himself by asking me questions.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

I blinked, a bit perplexed. Oh, I talked, just not in this situation. Still looking forward, I replied: "It's not really my place to speak here. I'm just an observer."

"True..." he nodded, and from that point on, stopped asking questions.

I watched the Joining in both horror and amazement. It went exactly as I had been informed: each man took his turn at the goblet, drinking the darkspawn blood, and collapsing to the ground. Most of them stood afterwards, obviously disoriented and in pain. To my sadness one of them collapsed to the ground and did not move again. Duncan murmured apologies as he leaned down and closed the dead recruit's eyes. They buried him shortly after.

As Duncan was addressing the new Wardens back to camp, I busied myself with staying out of the way. Going to my horse, I checked the saddle bags; making sure each was securely fastened, and feeding the stallion an apple after tying the bags shut. Duncan called me over as the new Wardens scattered, off to clean their armour and themselves, and to think about what they now were. Bowing my head respectfully, I stood in front of the commander. I don't know when he had time to clean, but now he was free of any blood or muck.

"So, the Joining is complete..."

I nodded, making sure to keep strong eye contact.

He looked around at our surroundings. I could see it in his eyes: the death of the recruit weighed heavily on him. "You are the first Warden Consort in existence, Ryda," he breathed in deeply. "The first to be but an observer of a Joining, and more importantly, to know what it means. I trust you milady, but your role is a new one. The others may not be so trusting."

He paused, and I realized he wanted me to respond. "Trust is extremely important to me, commander." I recited the code as my taskmaster back home had done so many times before. " 'My honour is my life, and my word is my honour'."

He nodded, and I saw his features soften slightly. "Spoken like a true knight." He placed his hand on my shoulder. "You shall be a valuable asset, Ryda. Give the others time to accept that."

I bowed my head again. "I am truly grateful that you have faith in me, commander."

"I see no reason not to, milady."

* * *

The Warden commander suggested I rest in the camp. I kept to myself after speaking to the two seasoned Wardens. They seemed genuine enough, and I decided that they were fine with my presence. The men who had survived the Joining sat around the fire, eating their lunch quietly. I wondering how long it would be before they started to dream of the darkspawn horde, and I was silently glad that I did not have to deal with such nightmares.

I had taken off Cael's saddle and was brushing the warhorse when I heard a ruffling of metal on metal.

"Nice horse you have there."

I looked over my shoulder, and there stood the blond-haired man, armour and face now cleaned. Really looking at him for the first time, I saw he was quite a good looking man.

"Thank you." I patted Cael on the neck as his nostrils flared. He did not play well with others.

"So uh, can you talk now?"

I raised an eyebrow and gave a half-smile. He was an insistent fellow, wasn't he? "I guess so, if you want."

He grinned, cocky, and nodded his head. "Oh, I do."

I could hear the wolf whistle from the fire-side. Not surprisingly, it was the man who had been staring at my rump before the Joining. I rolled my eyes.

"Just ignore them," the man suggested, waving a hand. "They don't know how to treat a pretty lady such as yourself."

This time, both my eyebrows rose. He coughed.

"Anyway..." he took a step forward. "I'm Alistair. New Warden, by the way, so I don't have a last name anymore. Nice to meet you."

I nodded in understanding. To be a Warden was to have no family name or noble title.

"Ryda. Don't use my last name. I seem to be called the Warden Consort. Before that, I was just a traveller."

"Traveller, eh? What a title you've got." I couldn't help but laugh a bit. His eyes lit up. "There must be more than that."

I shrugged. "I'm from far, far away. Had to travel over two oceans to get here, so I think 'traveller' is a perfectly suitable title."

"Not just a traveller, but a big traveller then! So what, not a princess? Or an arena fighter? Or an assassin in disguise?"

Again, I chuckled. "Knight, perhaps. The armour and warhorse seems to say so. 'Foreign travelling knight' seems to be a good description."

"So a lady knight is it? That is a much better title than 'traveller'." He paused. "We don't have many women in the wardens. I wonder why that is."

"I can handle myself better than most." I crossed my arms and shifted my weight. I had learned at an early age that to be a warrior, I had to show that my sex did not mean I could be pushed around.

"Well, yes, I can see that. That horse is pretty big." He motioned to my stallion.

I came to the sudden conclusion that he was a light-hearted man, and that I had no reason to prove my ability to him. I dared to ask him the same question, and to jest with him. "So what about you, Alistair? What was your past title before becoming a Warden? Baker, perhaps? Chef?"

His hand touched his chest, seemingly gripping his heart. "That cuts me deep, milady," I could tell he was obviously joking, but the puppy dog eyes were a bit much. "I'm an ex-Templar. Well, ex-Templar-trainee to be precise."

This surprised me. This man was a mage hunter?

"Impressive."

He shrugged. "But that doesn't matter anymore," he almost seemed... ashamed at the fact. "Now, I'm a Warden."

I un-crossed my arms. "Hey, don't worry, I'm no mage."

This made him smile.

"Why don't you join us by the fire, Lady Ryda?" He motioned behind him. "You look like you could use a good meal and some rest."

I thought about it for a second. I had spent enough time eating meals alone during my travels. Eh, why not, some company would be nice. But when I opened my mouth to reply, Duncan's voice cut in.

"Ryda," he walked to my side, a parchment in his hand. "I need you to do something for me."

I looked to Duncan, then to Alistair. "Commander? Of course, what is it?"

The Warden handed me the parchment. "Read it."

I opened the paper and quickly skimmed its contents. At the very bottom was the royal seal. King Cailan's seal.

I had known that there had been an unnatural number of darkspawn – ugly, evil creatures – appearing on the surface as of late, but this parchment claimed that they were amassing. The king wanted the Wardens to assemble to him. He wanted to build an army to face the current darkspawn before they became a threat.

"He wants the Wardens to fight..." I gently rolled the paper back up.

Duncan nodded. "Cailan wants the Wardens of Ferelden to gather. He wants us to join him on the front and challenge the darkspawn appearing in the south."

I wondered if this was necessary. I had not heard great things of King Cailan. He had come to power in a time of peace, but that was not the life he desired. I had heard tales that he wanted glory and excitement, and that he was inexperienced and somewhat reckless. There was truly no real reason to gather all the Wardens unless...

"Commander... could this darkspawn movement be the beginning of a Blight?"

Blight. A word I had not been privy to until I had arrived in Thedas. I had first heard of it from a minstrel I had encountered during my travels. Her song had revealed to me that a Blight occurred when an Archdemon – a powerful spirit tainted by evil – had been manifested and was calling the darkspawn to the surface. A Blight was the beginning to the end of the world. I felt a shiver down my spine at the thought of it.

I saw Alistair's eyes widen as he stood to the side. He stayed silent.

Duncan shook his head. "I don't know... but if the king wants us to gather, we have no choice." He looked me directly in the eyes. "Ryda, I trust you with this task. Gather the other Wardens. Show them this parchment. Tell them to ride to Ostagar immediately. I will go to King Cailan personally, to escort him here."

I was slightly shocked. Collecting the Wardens was an extremely important duty. And Duncan was entrusting me.

I felt pride. A pride that I had not felt in a long time.

"I will do just that, Duncan."

He nodded. "Thank you, Ryda. I think this is a good first task for you. If you are willing, I would like you to leave immediately. We will give you food and some money to make your way."

I bowed my head. "Of course, commander."

And then the man was off, and I was left standing with the blond Warden and my 'slightly' overprotective warhorse.

I looked at him, and frowned a bit. "Sorry. It looks like I'll have to decline your offer…"

Alistair shrugged, seemingly unfazed. "Ah well. Next time, I guess."

I couldn't help but smile crookedly.

* * *

An hour later I had re-saddled my horse and was preparing to leave. The Wardens had provided me with provisions, some coin, and a map indicating where the other Ferelden Wardens could be found. My helm and hunting bow was strapped to the saddle, and my sword and shield were firmly attached to my back. Duncan had given me precise instructions: I was to return to Ostagar when I had found the few other scattered Wardens spread about the province.

I had said my farewell and had mounted my horse when blond hair appeared from behind a tent.

"My, you look quite regal. Grey iron armour on a black warhorse is quite nice on the eyes."

I chuckled and tightened the reins. He came up beside my warhorse, but not too close.

"It was nice to meet you, milady. I hope we meet again."

I smiled, warmed to hear such a thing from an almost perfect stranger. "I'm sure we will, Alistair. We'll have a spar or two when we get a chance."

His own smile was large, beaming. "A spar? Are you challenging me, Lady Ryda?"

I nodded my head. "I am indeed, so be prepared. I hope you are good with a shield." I looked to the path ahead. "Best of luck to you, Ser Warden."

Alistair bowed slightly. "To you as well, my lady. Best of luck."

With one last look at him, I nudged my horse forward into a canter.

So my trip began, my duty to the Wardens unwavering.

This was not such a terrible start to a new life.


	2. To Become a Warden

_Most do not realize it, but although I am a foreigner of Ferelden, my bloodline is anything but unknown. At the time of Ferelden's unification more than 400 years ago, my ancestors had occupied Highever and attempted to maintain its independence. This ancestor, a Teyrna, had united the Banns of Highever in a rebellion against the unification. She was eventually defeated by the man who would become the first King of Ferelden, and although she maintained her title of Teyrna, she did so only by swearing loyalty to the King that had taken her independence. Naturally, this forced loyalty was met with distain by her kin._

_This distain resulted in her eldest son leaving Ferelden permanently. He eventually settled into a new land across the sea, and although he had lost his noble status by leaving, he managed to regain it by becoming a Knight-Commander and forming the Order of the Paladins in the kingdom he now lived. _

_Although I am of a foreign branch, my bloodline still resides here._

_The Cousland bloodline._

_

* * *

_

I rode along the same bridge I had crossed almost three months ago. It was drizzling slightly, but I welcomed the rain as it cooled my horse. My helm covered my face, keeping the drizzle from hitting my eyes. It was much busier than it had been those months ago. Soldiers walked about the ruins. I saw marabi war dogs following their masters, men leading horses, and Templars keeping watch over mages. Multiple campsites were spread about, leaving trails of smoke rising into the air.

I looked around, trying to find the Warden camp. Dismounting and removing my helm, I asked a mage where the camp was. She was a pleasant woman, and pointed me in the correct direction. She said her name was Wynne, and after asking her a couple questions, she respectfully excused herself. I soon found the Warden camp, my horse trailing obediently behind. A hound barked, and suddenly a rust coloured marabi was at my feet, tail wagging.

At first, I was a little confused, but quickly recognized the hound as Axel, whom I had been acquainted to during my few visits to Highever Castle. Although my blood was much different than the Couslands in Ferelden, the current Teyrn had welcomed me into his home. He called me 'cousin' and allowed me to interact with he and his family as though I was very closely related, rather than simply being a member of a very distant branch of his bloodline. I had been very pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

The hound wagged his tail, tongue hanging from his mouth and eyes wide, and I knelt down to rub his ears. But what was he doing here, and not in Highever Castle?

"Lady Ryda?"

I looked up to see Aedan Cousland. He was the youngest child of Teyrn Bryce and Teyrna Eleanor. He was no older than sixteen, and an aspiring warrior, as was his twin sister Elissa. The two of them were nearly inseparable, but here stood the boy beside the Warden Commander, alone and looking very much unhappy. What was going on?

"Aedan?" My eyes widened in surprise and Axel retreated to his master. "What are you doing here?"

The young man's eyes dropped. "Something happened, in Highever..."

I looked to Duncan, then back to the teen.

"He's here to become a Grey Warden," Duncan stated, an uncharacteristic frown on his face.

My eyes narrowed. This didn't make sense. Teyrn Bryce would never allow any of his children to become a Warden. Not even if there was a full-blown Blight on the horizon.

I shook my head and took a step forward. "What happened?"

Aedan looked to me. I could see that tears were threatening to break. His father had always taught him emotion was nothing to be ashamed of, but I knew that if he was near tears, something terrible had happened.

Duncan bowed slightly. "I will leave you two to talk. Ryda, we can speak later. We have a Joining to perform however... Could you go find Alistair and the other recruits when you are done, please?"

I nodded, and the commander disappeared to the fireside. I walked close to my 'cousin', placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Come, let us walk. You only have to tell me what you want to." I looked at Cael and ordered him to stay at the camp.

Aedan sadly nodded and we started off into the ruins. We had found the two other recruits and were searching for Alistair before he said a word to me. His face was hard, sullen, as he explained what had happened in Highever Castle only a week before.

I felt my stomach go into knots as grief and anger boiled inside me. Arl Howe, the traitor! He had killed Aedan's family. His parents, his twin, his brother's wife, and his nephew were all dead. I did not know them well, having only met them a year ago, and seeing them few times since, but they had been very good to me. They had treated me with dignity and respect, and were a very kind and generous family. I gritted my teeth as he told the story. The greed of some men appalled me.

"I'm going to find him, and I'm going to kill him," Aedan clenched his fists. He looked at me, determination and pain in his face. "All I want right now is revenge."

I nodded. I did not know about revenge, as I had never felt the need to take it, but the fire in the young man's eyes told me everything. Realizing I would be travelling with the Wardens, and so with the teen, I came to a conclusion. "I can train you, Aedan, if you would like."

The young man looked at me. "You can?"

I nodded my head. "I will train you the best I can. I will help you the best I can."

He sighed, looking at his hands. I felt terrible for him. He was just becoming a man, and already he had so much to deal with. His family's death, his sudden initiation into the Wardens...

"Where is Fergus?" I asked, shifting my weight. He had said his brother was absent during Howe's attack.

"King Cailan said he was here. He went to scout the wilds, and won't be back until after the battle."

This surprised me. He had spoken directly to King Cailan? And there was a battle so soon? I had not been informed a battle was so near, although the amass of troops made me wonder. Duncan was probably going to inform me when we spoke.

I bowed my head. "I'll help you find him when this is over, Aedan." But something told me he was already dead...

The teen nodded, than breathed in deeply, unclenching his fists. He looked straight into my eyes. "Lady Ryda, I-I know I do not know you well, and it is unfair of me to ask, but can you promise me something?"

I tilted my head slightly, but kept silent. I could hear the hint of doubt in his voice.

"Something tells me that this ritual, this _Joining_... I-I think it may be the end of me." My eyes widened a bit. "If I don't survive it, or the battle afterward, or if something happens... could you take my family's sword and take revenge for me?"

"I..." My stomach clenched tighter. He had been through a lot, and I knew the Joining was dangerous. There were so many ways to die if you were a warrior, but the risk increased ten-fold when you were a Warden. I would not lie to this man and tell it he would survive, because I did not know if he would.

But that was a hefty request.

"Please, cousin..." his gaze was unwavering. "I know you are a great knight. Those stories you told us, the sparing I've watched, how you are with a sword and shield... you're a great warrior. You're noble and honourable, and you are a Cousland. Please, I cannot trust anyone else. Just promise me that peace will be brought to my family..."

What could I do? I could not refuse him. He was broken, he was family, and he needed hope.

I nodded, reaching forward and gripping his armoured shoulder tightly. "I promise you this, my cousin. On my honour and my life, I will find and kill Arl Howe if you cannot do it yourself."

Aedan reached forward and gripped my own shoulder. "Thank you… Ryda."

With a crooked smile we continued on, searching for the Warden Alistair. I spent my time wondered if I had made the correct decision...

* * *

We found the Warden arguing with a mage. The blond said something about naming his future son, the grumpy one, after the magister before the man stormed off in a huff. We walked up to the Warden, who shrugged.

"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together," he turned to us, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and cross my arms.

"War seems to do that to the best of us. You're being nice as always, I see."

He face lit up a bit when he registered who I was. "Lady Ryda! Good to see you again!"

I couldn't help but smile. "Likewise, Warden Alistair. We were sent to retrieve you."

He grinned, shifting his weight. "You're business as always." He looked at Aedan beside me. "Nice to meet you..."

"Aedan," he replied. "Aedan Cousland. You seem to know my cousin already."

Alistair looked from Aedan to me, then back. "A Cousland? Seriously? Ah, nice to meet you..." he looked to me. "You're a Cousland?"

I shrugged. "I'm a different kind of Cousland. Aedan and I share an ancestor." A pause. "But we'd better get to Duncan. We have a Joining to perform."

Alistair nodded, and followed as we started back towards camp. I could feel him at my shoulder as we walked. "Good to see you survived."

"Same to you, Ser."

"We'll have to dual later." His voice was happy, and was that a hint of teasing I detected?

I chuckled. He had remembered.

We returned to camp, and I followed Duncan off to his tent, leaving Alistair and Aedan with the other Warden recruits. He rubbed his temples as the tent flaps drew closed. I stood at attention.

"We have a battle ahead of us, Ryda. Darkspawn are coming. A large army is about to attack." He paused and looked to me. "You have done a good job. Gathering all the Wardens in three months is no small feat. We were quite scattered."

I nodded, pride filling me. I had done my best, and was glad it was to his liking. "Thank you, Ser."

The commander breathed in deeply, gathering his thoughts. "I do not know if we are in a Blight, Ryda." He sat down at the table at the side of the tent. I remained standing at attention. "The King does not think so, but I think King Cailan is not taking everything into account. But never the less, we need to be prepared, and we need to be cautious." He looked at me again. "I want you to accompany the recruits and Alistair into the wilds and collect darkspawn blood for the Joining ritual."

I shifted my weight. The memories of Alistair's Joining still unnerved me. Looking at the commander, I realized that he wasn't finished. "Ser?"

Duncan's eyes were hard. They were full of strength, but also full of desperation. "Ryda, I know that you want to help the Grey Wardens. And I know that the reason you suggested becoming a Consort is so you could do so and not have to become a Warden but..." he rubbed his eyes. "If this is a Blight... we need as many Wardens as possible. I cannot force you to become a Warden, and no matter your choice, you are still one of our own, but for now I ask you to consider it."

A jolt ran down my spine, filling me with a sense of dread. I did not like the prospect of becoming a Grey Warden. Unlike the recruits, I knew the repercussions of undergoing the Joining: the nightmares, the shortened life span, the Taint... not to mention a Warden's relationship with the darkspawn. It was a life-long and life-altering choice. A choice I was not sure I was brave enough, or able, to make.

There were people – people I could not let down – waiting for me to return to my homeland. Although I had postponed it – and did not want to think of them – I did have duties there, and I could not simply ignore them. I had to go home at some point.

My eyes broke away from Duncan as I replied. "Ser, I… I will consider it."

His only response was a nod and a hand motion telling me to follow him as he exited the tent. I drew the tent flap closed with a deep exhale, my mind unfocused as Duncan explained to the recruits what they needed to do.

Before I knew what had happened, we were off towards the wilds – to collect the dark blood we needed.

* * *

The recruits' orders were thus: each was to collect a vial of blood from a freshly killed darkspawn. Alistair had been ordered to collect several treaties from a sealed chest at an abandoned Warden tower. My orders were to make sure all of them survived.

My orders were simple enough, and I was not terribly worried about what we may encounter in the forest. What worried me was the decision I would have to make, very, very soon. Not long ago I had spent a good amount of effort in order to _prevent _myself from dealing with the choice of becoming a Warden, and now I was faced with it again. Would all that persuasion to allow me to become Consort go to waste?

I contemplated this as we travelled along the path unhindered, eventually coming to an injured soldier, who we patched up and sent back to camp. He said that his party was decimated by darkspawn.

One of the recruits was obviously unnerved. "If those things were able to destroy an entire seasoned scouting party, what makes you think five of us can protect ourselves?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "That's why Alistair and I are with you, to make sure you survive this."

The man all but threw his hands in the hair. "Great! A new Warden and a woman to protect us. We're doomed!"

I saw Alistair glare at the man, and pondered whirling around and pushing the recruit into the dirt – a kneejerk reaction caused by my unstable state of mind at the moment – but I composed myself.

"If Alistair is a Warden, he knows what he is doing," Aedan commented, eying his sword. "And my cousin is the best warrior I have ever seen. You do not want to be on the wrong side of her shield."

The recruit huffed, but remained silent. I nodded to Aedan, thanking him silently, and looked at Alistair, who had a brow raised. I motioned for him to lead, and he did so.

We quickly came across darkspawn, and nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. These beasts were strong, ugly, and had no mercy. They smelled of decaying corpses and looked much worse. As I sunk my blade into the flesh of my first darkspawn kill, I felt a wave of dread wash over me: this was definitely not the last time I would fight with these beasts. Keeping an eye on the recruits as they fought, I aided them if I felt they needed it. I kept a very close eye on Aedan. He was a good warrior, but inexperienced, and I could tell he was extremely unnerved by these creatures.

Of course, _anyone_ who was sane would be unnerved right now.

When the last darkspawn remained, I knocked him back with my shield and quickly finished him with my blade. My armour and skin was covered in darkspawn blood, and my hair was matted in the dark sticky liquid. How I wish I had worn my helm; this gore felt utterly terrible on my skin and in my hair.

The recruits went about collecting vials of blood as Alistair observed them. I quickly collected a forth when no one was looking. I had not told my cousin that Duncan had asked me to become a Grey Warden, and I did not know how he would react to the news. The next task was to find the tower and collect the treaties, and so we continued along the forest path. We met several more parties of darkspawn, as well as an Emissary – a darkspawn mage – but eventually reached the tower.

Unfortunately, the sealed chest was smashed, and the documents were gone.

Alistair was busy grumbling about the papers when a woman suddenly appeared. The men worried she was a 'witch of the wilds', but I pressed that thought aside, trying to be friendly, asking her name.

She called herself Morrigan, and more importantly, knew where the documents were. She led us to a hut, where her mother apparently resided. Her mother, also a 'witch of the wilds', had taken them long ago, and handed them to us without much of a fuss. I knew that retrieving the documents could not be that easy, but I accepted them anyway, eager to leave the forest. We returned to the Warden camp, where Duncan greeted us warmly, taking the darkspawn blood and treaties. Shortly after, we waited at the temple as Duncan prepared the mixture for the Joining.

* * *

My cousin shifted beside me, nervous. I patted the shield on his back. "Your parents would be proud, Aedan. Be brave."

He nodded, looking forward at nothing in particular.

Duncan explained what the Joining consisted of to the recruits. They would drink the darkspawn blood, and if they survived, they would become Grey Wardens. This was a process I had seen several times, but it always sent a chill down my spine. The recruits were shifting in place. The first recruit looked at the cup with obvious fear in his eyes. He quickly took a drink and handed the goblet to Duncan. At first, he examined his body. In a moment's notice he collapsed to the ground, choking and grasping his throat. His body convulsed, and then he lay still, never to move again.

"I'm sorry, Daveth," Duncan kneeled and closed the dead man's eyes, bowing his head.

The other recruit began to panic, drawing his sword. He began shouting how he could not do this, and how he had a wife and child. Duncan quickly drew his dagger and plunged it into the man's heart, killing him instantly. I looked away, and could hear the commander whisper an apology as the body slumped to the ground.

The Wardens' secrets were necessary to protect. They could not let a recruit who knew them leave alive.

I know that there is death during the Joining. One death was not uncommon. Two was also not uncommon. I turned to my cousin, and hoped he would not make three.

Aedan looked to me. I could see the utter determination on his face. For his age, he was a brave man: much braver than I had been when I was that young. I nodded as he stepped forward, taking the goblet in his hands. With a deep breath, he took a drink, handing the goblet to Duncan.

I stopped breathing.

For a moment, Aedan was fine. He too, was holding his breath, and for a second, I saw a glimpse of hope. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground, grabbing his chest and coughing up blood. His body convulsed several times, and I looked away.

After what seemed like an eternity, I looked back at my cousin's lifeless body, and bowed my head.

* * *

There was a heavy silence in the time that followed. Three bodies lay on the temple floor. The commander bowed his head in shame, the recruit's blood still slick on his armour.

I kneeled down and touched Aedan's face, still warm, and closed his lifeless eyes. "Sleep well, cousin." I remained there, not really able to move. He was so young, and had gone through so much. I could not believe what had happened.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and knew it was Alistair's. I silently thanked his kindness. Duncan gave me a while to grieve. I felt his eyes on me when I stood. He wanted me to make my choice.

The cowardess in me told me to run. To grab my gear and head back to my homeland before a war broke out. But had not something like this been my plan? I wanted to begin anew and leave my past behind for a while. I wanted a purpose. And what purpose was greater than this?

They needed Grey Wardens. They had just lost three recruits. No new blood to add to the order, and no new warriors to fight the darkspawn. Something in me said that they needed experienced soldiers to survive the onslaught of the darkspawn. Honourable soldiers who were willing to give their lives fighting demons to protect the innocence of this land. I had spent my entire life doing so in my homeland. They could use me.

The Paladin in me told me they _needed _me.

I stared at Aedan's shield. The Cousland crest was vivid on the grey metal. I had come to this province looking for a purpose – looking for a way to forget my past and to become something. Was this it?

I am a _Cousland_, aren't I?

In that moment, I realized what I had to do. Swallowing my fear, I looked Duncan in the eyes.

"I'll do it, Duncan."

The man nodded.

"What?" It was Alistair from behind me. He was worried. I could hear it in his voice. "You'll do what?" It became fairly obvious when Duncan lifted the goblet that had just taken three lives.

I didn't respond or look at the man behind me. Simply stared at the goblet. I am determined to see this through.

I stepped around my cousin's body, standing in front of the commander. "I'm ready."

He nodded, handing me the goblet. "You know the risks, Ryda. You will be one of the first to undergo the Joining with this knowledge."

I nodded and brought the cup to my lips without a second thought, gulping down the liquid. There was dragon's blood in here, I could taste it.

And then suddenly, I was on the ground.

I vaguely remember a searing pain that began in my throat and ran down into my chest, and I vaguely remember coughing uncontrollably. It was one of the worst pains I have felt. Vivid images flashed through my mind; of battles and dark places and of a roaring dragon that seemed to call to me.

Then I was suddenly staring at the white stone, suddenly pushing myself to my feet. Duncan's hand was on my shoulder, and Alistair was hovering behind me.

Through the fog that was my senses, I could hear Duncan state with pride: "Welcome to the Grey Wardens, Ryda."


	3. The Loss of the Grey

_It took a while for the shock of my choice to truly sink in. By the time it had truly donned on me that I was now a Grey Warden and that I had got myself mixed up in a war against monsters, no less in a land that was not even my own, it was turning into evening. _

_We had buried Aedan and the other recruits while my head was still cloudy. I had not known my cousin well, but he was still my relative, and it was so unfair that his life had taken such a drastic turn. The death of his family had weighed on me more than I had expected, and I was starting to realize that the promise I had made to the young man was a folly one. I had promised to murder an Arl for the killing of a family I barely knew, going against all the teachings in my youth about honour and the evils of taking a life for revenge._

_I found it interesting that in the three years since I had left my homeland, in only a span of a couple of months I had forged a deep connection to a noble family I barely knew, and had vowed to protect a province I had just entered._

_I suddenly realized that defending Ferelden and upholding the Cousland name was now my duty, whether I wanted it or not._

_I am unsure if I should declare myself an honourable person, or a complete and utter fool. _

_

* * *

_

Alistair and I waited at the Warden camp for Duncan to return. He had left to speak with the King Cailan and the King's second, Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir. Duncan knew that we would play no part in formulating a strategy for the upcoming battle, so he gave us time to rest.

I sat on a log next to the fire, with Axel's head in my lap and the Cousland shield and family sword at my side. The dog's ears and eyes drooped as he whined quietly. He knew his master was dead.

My own sword and shield were strapped to Cael's saddle now. I felt almost... dirty... wielding the equipment. I knew that technically I shared my bloodline with the Couslands, but my particular family had left Ferelden several generations ago. It just didn't feel right. But I knew it was what Aedan would have wanted, and so I would wield the equipment in the Cousland name.

I was almost startled when I heard Alistair sit on the other side of the log. I opened one eye to look at him, and he smiled a sad smile.

He looked straight at me. "I'm sorry, Lady Ryda, I know this must be rough on you. You've gone through a lot." He handed me a thick slice of bread and I took it gratefully.

I broke off a piece and gave it to Axel. The dog licked my hand in thanks, than took the hard bread. Something told me that the sword and shield wasn't the only thing I inherited from Aedan.

"You don't need to call me that, you know," I said, taking a bite and chewing slowly.

He swallowed a piece of bread with a loud gulp. "Call you what?"

"Lady," I looked down at the hound, who was now drooling on my grieves. "I'm a Warden now, so no titles anymore, right?"

Wardens lost many things when they survived the Joining. Their last names, their rankings in the nobilities, and anything they owned other than their equipment and mounts.

I took another mouthful of bread and gave the rest to the dog. I wasn't very hungry right now.

"I don't like being called 'Lady' anyway." I finished, looking at Alistair out of the corner of my eye and brushing some slobber off my armour. "The only people who call me that are nobles, and I tend not to be very comfortable around nobles."

He smiled a bit. "Alright, alright, fair enough. So what would you like me to call you, then? Traveller? Or maybe Ser Knight?"

I laughed, thankful that he was trying to lighten the mood. "Ser works fine. Or Ryda, you could just call me that."

Will a nod, Alistair ate the rest of his bread and gave a little salute. "Ser Ryda it is then."

"Sounds good."

I continued to rest on the log as we waited for Duncan to return. I knew the other Wardens weren't far, but they had their own preparations to make. Alistair was silent as he poked at the fire. Every once and a while I would feel his eyes on me, probably sizing me up, but I didn't mind. He seemed like a good man.

Duncan arrived shortly and told us the plan that had been formulated. The Wardens and King Cailan would take the front, while Loghain and the majority of the army would stay back and wait for a signal to attack. I partially agreed with the tactic; it was simply a large-scale flanking manoeuvre, and it was the Wardens' job to take the front during a darkspawn attack. What didn't make sense was the fact that the King wanted to be at the front. I understood why I had heard stories about King Cailan wanting glory.

However, apparently two Wardens in particular wouldn't be taking the front.

"Cailan wants two Wardens to light the beacon. That is what you two will be doing."

I raised an eyebrow. I did not like this order. It's not that I wanted to bloody my sword, I just didn't think my expertise was best suited lighting a beacon in a well guarded tower.

"So he needs two Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch. Just in case, right?" Alistair quipped in. I could tell he disliked this idea as much as I did.

Duncan nodded. "It is what the King wants, and it's an important task. I trust the two of you with it."

"I get it. We'll do it. Just so you know; if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."

My eyebrow raised. Well that was... interesting. "I think I'd like to see that." I blurted out without thinking.

Alistair gave me a side-ways glance, "Only if you're the one wearing it. But it has to be a very pretty dress."

Duncan sighed heavily.

With a shake of my head in amusement, I looked at Duncan, getting back to the task at hand, "We'll get moving immediately, commander."

The Warden nodded. "Good luck to the both of you then." He came to me, handing me a small hip-pouch. "I want you to hold onto these, Ryda. Take care of the treaties."

I saw Alistair shift in place. "Be safe, Duncan."

"To you as well, Alistair."

And then the commander was off.

Alistair and I prepared to travel to the tower. Axel, I knew, would be coming with us. I worried a bit for the hound's safety, but there was no way I could leave him alone at camp. I strapped the Cousland sword and shield to my back, the treaty pouch to my hip, and then walked over to Cael. I double-checked that my other equipment was tied to the saddle securely, and decided not to take my helm with me.

Moving to the horse's head, I placed a hand under his chin and stroked his face. "Now boy, wait here for me. If the fight comes here, run. Look for me when it's safe."

The horse looked straight at me and nuzzled my chest in response

"Does that horse even know what you're saying?" Alistair asked, coming up behind me.

I gave the horse one more pat and quickly walked up to the man. He was fully armoured and equipped, as was I.

"He knows his commands. He's been trained for stuff like this."

Alistair turned and we started towards the tower, Axel in tow. "He must've been hard to come by, then. He's a good looking warhorse."

I nodded and smiled. "He was a gift, actually. A close friend of mine gave him to me as a going away present."

"Really? You have good friends then."

"I do indeed."

* * *

We reached the tower quickly, and to our surprise, it was not as easy to light the beacon as we thought. Darkspawn had attacked and captured the tower, and we fought our way up to the top. Now that I didn't have the recruits to occupy me, I could watch my more experienced companion in action, and was happy to see that Alistair was a good fighter. Much like myself, he used a sword and shield, bashing and slicing his way through darkspawn with a finesse only a trained warrior could have. The mage that accompanied us provided us with flaming weapons and covering magic. We eventually reached the top, relieved, our armour and skin stained with blood.

The relief was short lived, as an ogre roared a challenge as we burst through the door.

"So much for just lighting a beacon. It's never that easy."

Alistair nodded in response. "Just don't let it pick you up."

We attacked the beast as a team; Axel biting at its feet, Alistair and I slashing at its torso, and the mage casting fireballs at its face. The battle was a blur until Alistair and I shoved at the creature in unison, knocking it to the ground. An instant later the man was on its chest, his sword digging into its brain.

I rushed over to light the beacon: we had been told to wait an hour to do so, and surely it had been an hour. Stepping back from the burning fire, I sighed in relief. This task was more stressful than planned.

Alistair came up beside me, breathing heavy. "You're a pretty good fighter, Ryda. Duncan chose well."

I smiled, tapping his shield with the blunt of my sword. "You're not so bad yourself, there."

He grinned back. Our victory was short lived however, as darkspawn suddenly burst through the doors, flooding the room.

* * *

I awoke to a confined space and a pounding headache. A voice I recognised shocked me to full attention.

"You've awoken. Finally."

I looked up to see the woman who had led us to the treaties only hours before. "Morrigan? What happened? How long was I out?"

She scoffed. Only then did I realize that I was in my underclothes, and probably in her mother's hut. And that I had several new scars.

"You were atop a flaming tower, swarmed with darkspawn. 'Tis a miracle you survived at all. You have been unconscious for almost two days."

I pulled my legs over the bed, grabbing my under-armour and quickly pulling it on. I didn't like being exposed. "How... did I survive?" Suddenly a wave of fear spread over me. "Where's Alistair?"

She scoffed again. "Alistair? The blond idiot sitting outside? He is fine, better off than you. As for surviving... if you believe the stories, let's say Flemeth turned into a giant bird and plucked you and he from the tower, along with your mutt."

I sighed, relieved. Alistair – and apparently Axel – were okay. I looked at the woman. Her stare was harsh and unforgiving. "Thank you, Morrigan," her stare did not soften. "Flemeth is your mother, I assume?" She nodded. "_The_ Flemeth?" I had heard stories about this seemingly immortal witch in the songs of bards, and I was surprised that the old woman who had given us the treaties was the same person.

"If you believe in the stories, then yes. But if you believe only in facts, then know you survived because she saved you, in some manner. Now..." she stood and went to wait by the door. "Get dressed."

After I re-armoured and re-equipped, I followed the woman outside.

Alistair greeted me with: "Am I glad you're okay. I thought I'd lost you."

I smiled. "Glad to see you too, Alistair. All well, I hope?"

He nodded, but the frown on his face told me it was not so.

Morrigan reintroduced me to her mother, and I bowed my head in thanks. She explained to us that the majority of the army had retreated shortly after the beacon was lit. My eyes narrowed. They had retreated? I asked her about the rest of the army, specifically about the front lines.

All the soldiers on the front had been killed as a result. I stood in shock as Alistair spoke, obviously infuriated. "Loghain betrayed us!" Alistair sneered through clenched teeth. "He left them to _die_. He left the Wardens to _die_."

At that point my heart sunk. Duncan was gone. The king was gone. The Wardens were gone.

We were the only ones left.

* * *

The next couple days were somewhat of a blur. I registered important events, but mostly I let my experience do the talking. I let my body fight for me, let my sense of honour guide me, and focused on the task at hand. I knew that as Wardens, we had a duty to fulfil. That duty was to face the darkspawn horde moving through Ferelden. Our best bet was to use the treaties that Duncan had left in my possession. There were three of them: one each for the Dalish Elves, the Dwarves of Orzammar, and the Circle Mages. Alistair had suggested a forth: to head to his childhood home, Redcliffe, and to ask the aid of Arl Eamon.

Flemeth had offered the services of her daughter, as the old woman too wanted to see to the end of the Blight. I had accepted, although Alistair and Morrigan had both protested. I knew that a mage would be a powerful ally. We headed to Lothering, a small village to the north, where we gained two more companions: a Chantry sister named Leliana who believed she had seen a vision telling her to join us, and a qunari man named Sten who had been caged for murder.

We also learned in Lothering that Loghain, the traitor, had place a bounty on our heads, claiming that the Wardens had betrayed the King. It made my blood boil. It meant that we'd have a lot of bounty hunters to deal with in the future.

It also meant that Loghain was now on the list of people I would indefinitely kill.

We left Lothering as soon as possible. Apparently I – although I did not want it – was appointed leader, and so decided we head for Redcliffe, as it appeared the closest destination. We headed west from Lothering at a brisk pace, stopping only to catch our breath and sleep.

* * *

We had set up camp one night on the way to Redcliffe. A pair of Dwarven merchants – a pair we had helped in Lothering – had decided to join us. Their carts proved a good way to carry equipment, and they had interesting wares, but our provisions were low and we had very little in terms of shelter and comfort. Morrigan built her own shelter, Sten went off on his own every night, and Leliana had a tent she slept in. Alistair and I had a tent that we alternated using nightly or by who was on watch shift. He had offered me the shelter several times; suggesting that he was fine sleeping outdoors, but I had turned him down each time.

He was persistent though.

"You know, you can have the tent tonight when you finish your watch," he had just built the fire up to a good blaze. We were waiting for Morrigan and Sten to come back from hunting. Leliana sat nearby singing to herself quietly, and Axel stood at the entrance of the camp, keeping watch.

"Oh no, not this again..." I rubbed my eyes. "Alistair, we've gone over this. We alternate. I had it last night, it's your turn."

He shrugged, sitting down beside me. "C'mon, I told you, I don't mind sleeping outside at all. It's good for you!"

I sighed.

I hadn't known Alistair for long, but since I began to travel with him, I had learned a couple things. He was a gentleman, for one, a good fighter, a terrible cook, and he used humour wherever he could. I'd learned that, much like myself, he liked to jest, no matter the situation. He joked when he was happy, nervous, sad, or just plain bored. We had began to develop into a pattern of jesting whenever possible, much to Morrigan's well-versed – and Sten's silent – displeasure.

He reminded me a lot of my brothers, and of the men I had trained and lived with in my youth when I was a young squire.

"How about this," I began, poking him in the side. "We alternate by week. You have it one week, and I have it another week. That way, you get to sleep outdoors for an extended period of time as you seem to desire, and I still get to feel like you're not treating me like a 'lady'." I drew the last word out, letting it sink in.

He raised a hand, defensive. This was a game he had quickly learned the correct response to. "No, no, Ser. Why would I treat a knight such as yourself in such a matter? I am doing this simply as a friend. A friendly gesture. An extension of my friendship to my fellow Warden." He tilted his head and grinned. "My very _lovely_ fellow warden."

I rolled my eyes at the man, shaking my head in silent laughter.

"Oh please," it was Morrigan, back with supper. She stood at the other end of the fire, Sten by her side. "I'd prefer to keep my lunch, thank you."

I laughed at her comment. Alistair and Morrigan weren't the best of friends. By that, I meant they hated each other. I didn't quite trust the woman and her icy exterior, but their arguing left for some interesting commentary.

"Hey now, that was a nice compliment!" He grumbled, crossing his arms like a pouting child.

Leliana got to preparing the hares that Morrigan and Sten had captured. She was definitely the best cook of us all, had many stories to share, and wasn't half-bad with her daggers. Although I was sceptical of her when we had first met, I was glad she had joined us.

Everyone had eaten and had gone to their respective sleeping areas. I sat by the fire, as it was my turn to keep watch. Axel lay to my left, asleep and on his back, legs sticking into the air. For a purebred marbari warhound, he was quite the mutt. I looked around the surrounding area for any signs of danger, and then took a drink of tea. We didn't have much luxury, and so this bit of cheap watered down tea was wonderful. I had taken off my gauntlets to allow the heat to move through my hands and arms. It felt good.

I heard the ex-Templar shift around the tent at the side of the fire. Seconds later, with a loud sigh, he pulled the flap open and shuffled over to me, his under-armour clothing ruffled and his feet were bare. He plopped down beside me in the dirt.

"Couldn't sleep," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

I offered him the chipped mug full of tea, and he took it with a quick thanks.

"Careful, it's h-"

"Ouch!" Too late. "You're not kidding!" He blew on it before drinking again, and I chuckled quietly. He narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying my pain, aren't you?"

I shook my head, averting my gaze. "No, of course not. Wouldn't dream of it."

He chuckled, handing me back the mug. "Yeah, _sure_ you're not."

We sat in silence, watching the fire. I focused on nursing my tea as best I could. The man was in very close proximity to me. A little too close. I could smell him from here: smoke, sweat, iron and leather.

Oh shit... noticing that in such detail probably wasn't a good thing.

"So, uh..." he mumbled, playing with his hands and breaking the silence. "How are the dreams?"

I frowned. Ever since we had left Flemeth's hut, I had been having terrible dreams. About the darkspawn horde, about death, and about a huge evil dragon we knew as the Arch Demon.

"Still there, every night." I sighed. "I almost don't want to go to sleep."

His frown mirrored my own as he looked down at his hands. "Yeah, they're terrible. One of the greatest downsides of becoming a Grey Warden. Except for the Taint and all." A pause. "They're a little easier to deal with as time goes on. Unless we're actually facing a Blight, then, I dunno what will happen..."

He trailed off, and I stared at the flames again.

"Hey Alistair?"

"Yeah?" He turned to look at me and tilted his head.

"What were the other Grey Wardens like?"

He looked almost confused by the question. "Huh?"

"I mean, what was it like to travel with them?"

His eyes fell. He took a moment to think. "Oh... They were good companions," he grinned a little as he stared into the flame, back in happy memories. "They were a rowdy bunch at times. We used to have drinking games and wrestling matches and basically be idiots when we weren't on duty. But once we were called to attention, everyone became so professional. They were all so devoted, especially Duncan..."

His face fell. I could see the pain and sadness as he thought of Duncan. I raised a hand and placed it on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Alistair, I shouldn't have mentioned it..."

He shook his head, placing his hand on my own. "No, it's okay. I just wished that... that I could have been there to help Duncan. I wish I could have been there, at Ostagar. Maybe I could have blocked the killing blow or maybe I would have died instead of him, I don't know... He didn't have anyone. No family, no nothing."

"He had you, Alistair."

The man looked at me, a half smile on his face. His hand tightened a top my own, and I smiled back. "Thank you, Ryda."

We stayed there for a moment, just grinning at each other. I was about to make a joke mentioning how he was still holding my hand when Axel bolted awake, growling. Immediately we were at attention. I drew my sword, looking around for danger. I could hear something – branches breaking, metal on stone, harsh breathing.

And then something burst through the trees, charging forward.

* * *

The big black creature burst through the trees, charging towards us. At first, I didn't realize what it was, and brought my sword forward to defend myself. Then, in a sudden moment of clarity, I realized that it was a very large, very familiar horse. I brought my sword down an instant before the stallion came to a sliding stop mere inches in front of my chest. He nickered happy.

Alistair coughed as the dust cleared.

"Cael!" I unceremoniously dropped my sword and grabbed the horse's nose in a very excited hug, my heart nearly exploding in a sudden bout of happiness. "That'a boy!" I rubbed under his forelock, ecstatic to see my mount. After a moment, I began examining him for injury.

"What in the world?" Leliana walked up by the fire, rubbing her eyes. I saw Sten shuffle away from the corner of my vision, obviously annoyed at the intrusion.

Alistair shook his head in disbelief. "By the Maker, I want a horse like that..."

With a quick inspection of my mount, I realized two things: first and most importantly, he wasn't hurt. A little worse for wear and exhausted, but fine. The second was that my gear was gone, except for the saddle itself. That meant that my sword, shield, bow, helm, and my saddle bags were gone for good. I quickly opened the small pouch built into the saddle and sighed with relief. Well, my money was still there.

What mattered was that the horse was okay, really. I don't know what I would do without this creature. I started undoing the girth and chest leathers, and to my joy, there was very little rubbing from the straps, even though they had been on for so long.

"By the gods, I love my warhorse..."

As I busied myself with the beast, I heard Leliana chuckle and go back to bed, and Axel bounced around behind me, tongue lolling and tail wagging.

Alistair came up beside me, laughing quietly, "Seriously? You have a horse that can find you after a battle like that?"

I nodded, grinning with pride. "I _told_ you he was well trained!"

"Hey now, I never said he wasn't! I said he was a very fine horse, didn't I?"

"Will you two SHUT UP and go to sleep!" Morrigan yelled from her own shelter. She sounded pissed.

Alistair and I looked at each other, and couldn't help but laugh.


End file.
